Here's a typical situation:

I'm out with the bros at our local beach break. The waves are the perfect size for a fun, playful session, and the sets are just big enough to make me a little nervous on the takeoffs. Exactly what I love!

A set wave comes right to me. Yep, it's clearly a nice one, the biggest we've seen all morning and peaking up perfectly. This might just be the wave of the day.

Everyone sees I'm in perfect position for it and they start whistling. Even a stranger gets a little hyped and gives me a "Yhhheeeewww!".

My mind starts racing... thinking about how nice of a wave this is... thinking about all the eyes of everyone in the lineup that are on me... thinking it's finally my turn to get some props from the boys! But also thinking this is a pretty big wave... what if I fall? How gnarly of a wipeout will this be if I don't make the drop?

I'm thinking way too much...

I've hesitated a little too long before making my move. Now I'm having to overcorrect by paddling harder and shifting my weight forward more than I should. I know I have to go, regardless of my now less than ideal position atop the wave. The only thing worse than falling would be missing the wave all together. I'm reluctantly committed and my confidence of making it down the face is diminishing with each stroke. Even amongst all of this, my mind still has time to think about how I'm kooking the wave of the day in front of everyone.

I force my way in from the top but even before I get to my feet I know it's too late. The lip is pitching and I'm on it, not under it. My nose goes straight down, I get thrown out over the falls, and the wave of the day barrels on down the line without me. As I bounce off the bottom and get held down against my will, I'm also beating myself up mentally. Despite feeling like I'm going to drown if I don't get to the surface soon, I don't want to come back up to face the embarrassment.

I make waves twice this size when I'm surfing alone. Why do I always seem to blow it when others are watching?

I Discovered The Problem: I've visualized my own demise. I thought about all the things that could go wrong instead of focusing only on what I needed to do right. To prevent overthinking, I needed to find a way to block everything out and focus only on what is absolutely critical at that very moment - catching the wave and making the drop.

Not what everyone else is thinking about me
Not what would happen if I fall
Not even what I'll do down the line
Only what the right move is at this exact moment

The result of my discovery: A mantra I can use to help me focus.

The following is a note to myself written with the intention of re-reading as needed... and I have revisited this one many times since I wrote it.

Here it is: "My Set Wave Mantra"

How To Override My Overthinking

**Review this any time you find you've lost your focus and are eating it off the takeoff.**

Remember your mantra: "You have to charge into it, you have to charge into it, you have to charge into it..."

This mind trick comes from transcendental meditation. People have been using it for thousands of years. It works. Don't second guess it.

If you start to think you're too good for it, remember the benefits you've already reaped from this simple tactic (and the devastation you've experienced as a result of foregoing it):

Benefit 1: It helps you catch the wave. There's nothing worse than having a great wave come your way and you don't even catch it. Don't be that guy!

This is especially true when the waves are overhead or bigger. You know how sketchy late takeoffs are when it's sizable and let's be honest with ourselves... You don't exactly have a flawless track record. Take a second to consider the last time you thought you were in... and next thing you knew you were watching a perfect wave peel down the line from behind.

Benefit 2: Your mantra helps prevent chicken-dick syndrome.

(Note to reader: Definition: Chicken Dick - someone who is such a loser or kook that it's safe to assume their dick is the same size as a chicken's. Example: "Deryl pulled out the back when he could have easily gotten shacked on that section. What a chicken dick!")

Listen dude, when you look over the edge and see that set wave start to throw, you can't second guess yourself. I don't even want to mention it here but to make my point clear to you I will. You can't say to yourself, "Damn I don't know if I can make that drop!". Or, if you look down the line and you see that lip starting to curl you might think, "I can't make that section!". If that's what's in your head, you're gonna end up pulling back, watching the wave peel away from behind... imagining how nice it would have been to be on it.

So remember this: It feels worse to watch that perfect wave peel away than it does to go for it, not make the drop, and get bounced off the bottom. At least in the latter case you get humbled by the sea, which isn't pleasant but comes with it's own benefits.

Also remember this: This is not a kamikaze approach to surfing. We're talking about nice set waves that you know are makable. Bombing closeouts is a whole other game.

Also remember this: You have to go! This isn't really a choice. We're talking about the mutha-fucking wave of the day here! If for nothing else but entertainment for the rest of the crew in the water, you have to go.

Benefit 3: That extra paddle doh. (To be of most benefit in bigger surf and offshore winds.)

When that wave starts to lift you and you think you're in, but you're nervous about the drop and want to get to your feet early... then you realize you don't quite have the momentum you need for a clean takeoff... That's when you're left looking like an idiot, halfway to your feet, as the wave either rolls forward breaking without you or pitches you over the falls. And you already know what happens next... You turnaround to find the next set wave bearing down on you. You're just a couple paddles too far inside to make a clean duck dive. And you get mopped up!

So even when it feels like you're starting to go vertical down the face of the wave, keep that mantra flowing and give it one extra paddle to securely launch into it. You gotta charge into it. Fully commit!

Surfing - Backside Takeoff - Right - Picture from Beach

Don't mess with the mantra

Final note on choice of wording here: You picked a phrase that includes the words 'charge it' for good reason. It kicks you into a mindset that this is a 'big wave scenario' even when it's not. This gives you a little shot of adrenaline to give you that extra paddle boost and a little extra focus to get your feet set properly right off the bat. That's quite a different physiological response than if you were thinking in fear, "Don't fuck it up, don't fuck this up, oh god please don't fuck this up!".

Remember your mantra: "You have to charge into it, you have to charge into it, you have to charge into it..."

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